Hallowe’en. All Saints’ Day. All Souls’ Day. As November reveals the signs of death in nature, so too it invites us to reflect on our own mortality, finitude, and vulnerability. Our Catholic faith takes death seriously. But it also teaches us that death is not the final answer. For Christians, death is not the end, but the final transition: it is the movement from the realm of time into eternity, from the imperfect vision of this world to the encounter with God “face to face”.

At our 11 a.m. Mass, we celebrate All Saints’ Day with a “Mass of the Resurrection”. We gather in a special way with the families and loved ones of those whose funerals took place here at St. Monica’s over the past year. In their memory, we light candles; we sing songs; we pray; we remember. Most of all, we celebrate the Eucharist, Christ’s promise of life triumphant over death. As Christians, we believe that Jesus is faithful to his promise: that his Paschal Mystery – his own passion, death, and resurrection – traces the pattern of our own lives. We give thanks that our loved ones have joined the blessed communion of saints, named and unnamed, whom we also celebrate today. They are at peace, in God’s loving presence.

So as we remember our loved ones who have died, let us be thankful for the gift they were to us in their time here on earth, and let us rejoice that they now enjoy the reward of their labours, resting in the arms of their loving Creator.